Electric-switch-operating mechanism



June 3, 1930.

W. P. HAMLYN ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 6, 1928 Fig.5.

v 1 22 Inventor Wilhqm P. Hamiyn Marcus C. I. Hunter Their Attorney Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM rANcnAs HAMLYN, or ACTON,

PATENT OFFICE LONDON, AND MARCUS CHARLES INMAN HUNTER, OF KEW GARDENS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC-SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed January 6, 1928, Serial No. 244,868, and in Great Britain February 5, 1927.

Our invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and

. its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show by single line diagrams the mechanism respectively in close circuit position, tripped position and resetting position.

Referring to the drawing, the actuating member 1 is a tension member and operatively connects the movable contact of the switch with the pivot 2, the bias of the switch being represented by the arrow 3. A toggle comprising the links 4 and 5 is supported in part by being pivotally connected at its ends to the links 6 and 7 It is illustrated as of the lap-over type in which link 4 is in tension and link 5 is in compression. One end ,of link 4 is pivoted to member 1 and to link 6 at 2 and one end of link 5 is pivoted to link 7 at 8. Supporting links 6 and 7 are shown as being suspended from a common fixed pivot 9 althoughseparate pivots may be used if desired. It will be noted that fixed pivots are shown as solid circles and movable pivots as hollow circles on the drawing. The operating member as shown comprises the bell crank lever 10 having the fixed pivot 11 and is connected to p1v0t 8 by the link 12. To the common or intermediate pivot point 13 of the toggle s connected the tripping mechanism comprislng l1nk 14, crank 15 and compression toggle 16, one link of which is extended beyond the fixed pivot 17 thereof and carries the roller 18. In the closed circuit position of the apparatus this roller engages the endface of stop 19 on the trip lever 20, the tripping force being applied by suitable means to the end 21 and represented by the arrow 22. The tripping mechanism thus by its connection with the intermediate point 13 of the toggle retains the toggle in a slightly underset condition. In order that the relative position of the three pivot points 2, 8 and 13 of the toggle may conveniently be varied thereby to vary thedegree of underset, the links 6 and 7 are constructed to be adjustable in length for which purpose any common and well known means may be employed. If preferred, one link only may be adjustable in length. In accordance with this construction we are able to adjust the degree of underset of the'toggle conveniently and accurately and without disturbing the tripping mechanism. It will be understood that the toggle links 4 and 5 are not necessarily of different lengths, the links being so illustrated for the purpose of avoiding confusion on the drawing. Obviously our invention is not limited to the use of an underset toggle but is also applicable to use of an oversettoggle in which case a common and well known form of tripping means would be employed to throw the toggle over center.-

After the mechanism has been tripped and the switch hasopened, the parts take the position illustrated by Fig. 2. To reset the mechanism preparatory to closing the switch the operating lever 10 is raised as shown in Fig. 3. Downward movement of lever 10 now returns the parts to the position illustrated by Fig. 1 and closes the switch.

For illustrative purposes we have shown the above described mechanism connected to operate an oil switch of the down-break type in which the insulator bushings 25 support fixed contacts which are bridged when the switch is closed by the yoke 26. In this switch, operating rod 27 connects the yoke 26 with the lever- 28 which latter connects through the toggle 29 with the member 1. Obviously the operating mechanism comprising our invention is not limited to the operation of switches of the particular construction illustrated but is applicable also to the operation of various other switches.

We have chosen the particular embodiment described above as illustrative of our invention and it will be apparent that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention which modifications we aim to cover by the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Switch operating mechanism comprising a switch actuating member, an operating member, a toggle arranged between said members, tripping means connected with the intermediate pivot of the toggle and means for adjustably supporting one of the end pivots of said toggle to vary the relative position of the toggle pivots in the closed switch position of the mechanism.

2. Switch operating mechanism comprising a switch actuating member, an operating member, a toggle operatively connecting said members, tripping means connected with the intermediate pivot of the toggle, and means for independently supporting the two end pivots of the toggle, one of said means being adjustable to vary the relative position of the intermediate pivot and end pivots of the toggle in the closed circuit position of the mechanism.

3. Switch operating mechanism comprising a switch actuating member, an operating member, a toggle operatively connecting said 1 members, tripping means connected with the intermediate pivot of the toggle, and links supporting the end pivots of the toggle, one of said links being adjustable in length to vary the angle formed by the toggle in the closed circuit position of the mechanism.

4. Switch operating mechanism comprising a switch actuating member, an operating member, an overlapping toggle operatively connecting said members, tripping means arranged to retain the toggle in an underset condition, and links adjustable in length for supporting the ends of the toggle.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set pgr hands this nineteenth day of December,

WILLIAM PANCRAS HAMLYN. MARCUS CHARLES INMAN HUNTER. 

